Home Server
/ 2 min read
I’ve been having fun going down a self-hosting rabbit hole. My current server is a Beelink S12 Pro Mini PC; it’s been excellent value for money ($180 in September 2024). However, when migrating my photos from Google to Immich, it became clear I could benefit from a more powerful machine. I’d like to spend around $1,000 to build a new home server. Here are my priorities:
- Upgradeable
- Quiet
- Energy efficient
Ideally, I’d like to build a Computer of Theseus, one where I can continue upgrading components over time as needed. To keep costs down, I plan to buy a CPU with an integrated GPU; a dedicated GPU can be added later. Since I live reasonably close to a Micro Center, I’ll take advantage of their bundling deals. Here’s my current parts list:
If I bundle the CPU, motherboard, and RAM at Micro Center, I can save about $200. I plan to add more storage and a GPU later. I’m thinking about running Ubuntu Server and possibly OpenZFS. Any build tips are greatly appreciated!